Tomato and Capsicum Adventure at Mokai

To keep creativity alive it is essential  for me to go on adventures to gain  visual material,
Walking is an added bonus.
Yesterday I went with my artist/walking/adventure buddy April to Mokai which is her marae.
We went for a tour of her husbands work which is a giant tomato and capsicum  growing and packaging business.
Phil gave us a tour and here are the results.
Very impressive operation.

                                                                 Juicy green tomatoes.

Oval tomatoes

                                  Hanging on the vine looking very colourful

So many capsicums, they come in green, orange and red, according to Phil you can get them in all colours of the rainbow but the more unusual colours are reserved for gourmet market.
How wouls you like the look of a blue Capsicum?

                                                            More yellow capsicums

                                                  rows and rows and rows

                                                and rows and rows and rows

                                                                     
                                                                 A sea of glass

                                                                 Clips for training the vines

                                                           Red and green capsicum

                                                                   Chillies

                                                       
                                        People working hard at the packing plant

                                                                 April and her friend..

                                                                      April

                                                        Meeting house with trike at Mokai

                                                               Maori carvings

                                                                               
                                       Old church, the area used to be a thiving forstry settlement.

There are a number of beautiful old buildings that are abandoned and slowly decaying, I want to go back and do an abandoned building photo shoot.

                                                      Old red truck

“The man who can't visualize a horse galloping on a tomato is an idiot.”

                          André Breton, French writer. (1896-1966)

Art Journal Challenge Milliande, final Page at last.

Let's have faith in positive outcomes in 2011

The final work, proving that I can follow someone elses art prompts to the end.
 It was a great exercise doing a journal page per day.
 It kick started me into the world of the Zebra.
Now  I am doing other pages in response to work in Sommerset Studio, experimenting with textures and wax.

Ingredients used: Watercolour, three different reds, photocopies, circle stickers, decorative papers .

Wax it with encaustic and feel the velvety soft texture of your work...

Somerset Studio -The art of Paper and mixed media is my favourite art magazine.

My latest copy arrived last week and it inspired me to make the following paintings to celebrate the coming of Easter.

Work by Julie Prichard, Seth Apter, Lynne Hoppe and Lynne Perrella have been an inspiration for these three pieces in terms of composition and colouring.

 Materials used.

Melted bees wax pellets, shellac, old book pictures, oil pastels with mineral turpentine, oil paint, old postage stamps, photocopied paintings and drawings on tracing paper, gold and silver pigments, leaf skeletons, modelling paste, textured gel medium, watercolour painting excerpts, copper wire, buttons, UHU gluestick to adhere medium to substrate.

Celebration Of Easter 1

Celebration of Easter 2

Celebration of Easter 3

Encaustic is a lovely tactile medium to work in.

You need a heat gun , beeswax pellets and you need to make sure you put it over a paper or

oilpaint/pastel base.

It will not stick to acrylic paint. 

When you are being inspired by others work it is important  I feel not to slavishly copy what they have produced for copyright reasons. 

Their work should be starting off points where you can jump into your own creative story.

If you do copy it exactly you need to acknowledge the artist and not offer it for sale.

Creativity Quote of the Day

Gold like the sun, which melts wax, but hardens clay, expands great souls.

                         Antoine Rivarol

Photography Exhibition Adventure...setting up a beginners Photography display for relatively new members of the Rotorua Camera Club..

Concept
We wanted to give a small group of people who attend "Wielands Sunday Photography  for Beginners" meetings  a chance to exhibit their favourite photo's.

It could be on any subject; we wanted diversity without the pressure of being judged and ranked in a competition.

I always think there is a place for everyone in photography, it's also about contribution and having a go and getting out of your comfort zone.

 Anyone can organise an exhibition in the library, it's a matter of contacting Sue Heke and booking your space.

I'm having a solo exhibition of Photographs and Haiku in June/July to celebrate National Poetry day.
This exhibition was a good chance for me to see how many photographs the space could accommodate without looking squashed.

Wieland  three weeks ago sorting out how many photographs he had  received  for the exhibition.

Process
I have contributed to and organised  well over 30 group and solo (painting and mosaic) exhibitions in my long career of being a visual  artist and I must say Wieland is one of the easiest and most relaxed people to work with that I have ever encountered.
It was not the least bit stressful for me; in fact it was fun, I wanted it to go on and on...
This is the first time Wieland has organised a Photography Exhibition, so he did really well; he acted like he'd done it a million times before.

Wieland in front of the display of  28 photographs  from Rotorua Camera Club members Lisa Ainslay, Carolyn Anderson, Rooney Bunink, Julie Hill, Chris Mills, Colleen Rawlings, Carol Smyth and Cathy Ward.
 
Maybe this is because he did most of the work and I spent a lot of time chatting to passersby, convincing them to cast a vote for their favourite photo and raving on about how my photographs  had multipled and  improved since I'd joined the Rotorua Camera Club.

Marketing
I had already done the marketing in the days preceding which included designing and printing a poster to show in various businesses including Sheila Turners, Central Pharmacy, Radio Network, Radioworks, the hospital staff notice board, the District Council staff notice board, The  Rotorua Daily Post and The Library, plus the cafe next to the Library and  the Rotorua Arts Village.
Thank you to these sponsors for your support.

I've also put it on various sites on the net, including Facebook and of course this blog plus the council's eventfinder site.
I''ll keep plugging at it during the week.

Vote, vote, vote
We  would love it if  visitors to the library could vote for their favourite image
It's a way of inviting people to spend more time studying the photo's,  a bit like reality TV, too bad photo's can't talk.

Encounters in the Library
While we we were putting them up;  library visitors were genuinely interested in having a look and talking to us about the variety of different shots.



                                
Books
We have selected a lovely range of Library  photography books which will sit beside the exhibit to encourage visitors to  read andfind out a bit more about the power and potential of digital photography..

New Look Website
We are  also encouraging people to view the Rotorua Camera Clubs "new look" website at
http://rotoruacamera.co.nz/

 New Visual diary shots to come, so watch this space
 I wanted to stay in the library all day and talk to people about the photos, but I had to get home to have a lie on the couch because I felt tired from staying up blogging, manipulating shots  and creating new visual diary pages till the small hours of the morning.
I also think I have a small cold coming on.

Hamilton Balloon Festival
So I didn't go to the balloon Festival  after all in Hamilton with the weekend photography group.
I'm going next year and it's my aim to get a ride in one so I can take some aerial shots.

Philosophy
The more you know about Photography, the more you want to know and the more you realise that there's so much to learn if you want to win awards like a lot of the experienced Rotorua Camera Club and PSNZ members.


Addiction
I think I'm addicted to blogging and reading others art and photography blogs; especially if they are from overseas.
It's one way of me travelling to different lands.

Other Photography Exhibitions in Rotorua

There is  also an exhibition of photographic images in the Rotorua Museum Cafe by Rotorua Camera Club members until May.
Plus a small photographic exhibition at the Rotorua Arts Village of Children's work done in a workshop by Calico Jo. .
 Sheila Turner is also displaying more photographs in her gallery.

I hope this blog encourages people to view them all.
Creative Quote of the Day

“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this -- as in other ways -- they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.”
John Berger

Watercolour painting class pictures from my pupils at Rotorua Arts Village in February/ March 2011

All of the people on the course were beginner watercolour painters.

  I was really pleased with their accelerated progress.
Many people completed the homework  I set them  each night which really improved their results.

Thanks to everyone for making such a great effort and thanks to Rotorua Arts Village for the studio space.
Thanks to Imogen Crispe at the Rotorua Wekender for such a well written and positive write up plus StephenParker for the creative photographs.
Being in the front page of the paper has always been my dream, being creatrive can make these things happen.


Descriptions of Techniques

Flower Painting
Concentrating on brush skills, composition and the importance of leaving white space, not overworking the paint, being free and fluid.
Letting the luminosity of the paper work its magic.

Portrait out of a magazine or from photographs, practising drawing and painting upside down to achieve a more convincing likeness.

Landscape incorporating 10 values from light to dark. 

Making a black out of the primary colours. 

Painting  the same lansdcape in colour, working towards achieving a full tonal range from dark to light.

  

Pen and wash, using a waterproof pen for emphasis, definition  and depth. 

Negative Painting, concentrating on the space around the shape, building up the background first, leaving the subject to pop put after a series of glazes.

 Monoprinting, painting at the speed of light, abstract for quick backgrounds or to make into cards.

 Children's book illustration, having a go at seeing the world through the eyes of a child again. Exploring my large collection  of favourite children's books adapting their techniques to do your own thing.

Pupils hard at work,  having fun learning and practising over six different watercolour techniques.
The brief was that all attendees  would obtain at least four finished paintings that they could frame.
Many exceeded this target,  so well done.

Comments from Participants.
"You unlocked the amazing  colours that are in my head and  you helped to get them out onto the paper. I am still painting, getting books out of the library. I'll be back for another course."Heather

"I really enjoyed the class, the variety of techniques learned and your teaching style suited me. It added to the knowledge I gained when I attended your acrylic painting course." 
Vicki

"Thank you so much for your watercolour teachings, art talk and inspiration.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the class and will be back."
Julie

"I recommended a friend to go on Janet's next Watercolour painting class because I  know it will make her feel  happy. I am intending to do some more, I have so many ideas." 
Pamela

The next Watercolour Painting Class is enrolling now for  Monday 9th May for six weeks.
Class numbers limited to 14.
Please see Sharon at  the Rotorua Arts Village to book and pay for your class.
Beginners Watercolour Classes


Dates: Monday Nights, 9th May – 20th June (6 weeks)

Time: 6pm to 8pm



Class size: 10 to 14 people of any age

Where: Studio 2 Rotorua Arts Village
Cost: $130.00 per person plus materials. (Own art materials required, listed below)



.• This is a perfect class for people who have never picked up a brush but have always wanted to.

• You will learn a variety of easy water colour painting techniques which will result in at least four works that can be framed.

• You will have access during the class to Janet’s large range of water colour painting books and magazines for inspiration.

• You will have fun a class that will let you go with the flow and allow you to appreciate the luminosity of this beautiful medium.



Materials List


Artists water colour A4 pad 300gsm ( Sheila Turners)

Cottmans blue, purple, red, yellow, burnt sienna, paynes grey, yellow ocre ( Sheila Turners)

Plastic plates for palettes

Large, medium, small, acrylic brushes

Plastic or glass large jar for water

Paper towels

HB pencil

rubber
Contact Rotorua Arts Village  at (07) 348-9008

Contact Janet at (07) 346-3435
Email jkeen@clear.net.nz
Web: http://www.jkeen.netblog/: http://janetkeen.blogspot.com





I can run these classes as weekend workshops in my studio or I can come to you if you have a group in the Bay of Plenty or Waikato.

Ring me on  07 3453435 for a quote or email me at jkeen@clear.net.nz.
View my wesite at http://www.jkeen.net/


Creativity Quote of the Day
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”

Stanley Horowitz